Sunburn Protection from the Inside Out
By Dr. Anna Walden, HealthWalk™ Vital Hematology Department
Sunlight is the source of life on Planet Earth. Sun worshippers from ancient civilizations paid homage to the Sun as a deity because they understood the sun as the source of something so critical and fundamental that all living things owed their existence to it. Somehow, for multi-millennia, mankind has roamed the surface of our planet without the benefit of SP 40 sunscreen and without drastic DNA mutations of the skin.
More and more research is demonstrating the role of Vitamin D in the prevention of cancer. It is considered that 77% of cancer cases could be avoided by adequate levels of Vitamin D. The best source is not a supplement in pasteurized milk, but from our own Vitamin D3 production from sun-exposed skin. At this point in time, the most common cancer in humans is non-melanoma skin cancer. Its most deadly form, Melanoma, takes many lives each year. So we are faced with an unsavory choice – expose our skin and be at risk for cancer or not get the necessary Vitamin D3 and be at risk for cancer. But we have to wonder, how has humanity managed up until now to escape these consequences of sun exposure?
Research has shed important light on these matters. First of all, animal studies have demonstrated the role of omega-3 fatty acids in reducing the damaging effects of sunburn by inhibiting the cancerous changes that occur after ultra-violet radiation. Phytonutrients such as grapeseed extract, silymarin (the main constituent of milk thistle), green tea polyphenols, curcumin (the main constituent of turmeric), and resveratrol (red wine and red and purple grapes) have all shown to prevent or reduce sun damage.
Carotenoids and Vitamin E supplementation over time have also been shown to be effective in diminishing sensitivity to UV light. Since antioxidants and carotenoids provide an additional shield, don’t give up your regular supplementation for the summer months just because flu season is past.
Another study generated interest in tomato paste as a sunscreen – no, not topically! The first group was fed olive oil only as a potential sunscreen and the second group was fed olive oil plus tomato paste. The second group had a 33% greater protection from sunburn compared with the first group. It was thought that the lycopene from the tomatoes in the tomato paste provided the neutralizing of the UV light because it can inhibit the production of skin-damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS).
So these clinical laboratories are showing us what we have observed in the laboratory of life on earth. Our ancestors ate abundant amounts of organic fresh fruits and vegetables, diets that were far richer in antioxidants than ours. They were not plagued with the high incidence in DNA mutations that modern humans are experiencing.
Nevertheless, even if we increase our consumption of antioxidants rich foods, we still may need some topical screening to protect ourselves since there is still likelihood that our intake/absorption of natural sun protection may be limited. However in choosing a sunscreen/block, watch out for the following on the ingredients label, these ingredients are potentially harmful and may cause you more health issues than the skin protection you were trying to achieve: Parabens (endocrine disruptors), PABA – can be called octyl-dimethyl or padimate-O (problematic in sunlight where it appears to attack DNA), mineral oil, paraffin, petrolatum (coats and clogs pores, suspected carcinogen), sodium laurel sulfate (combines with other chemicals and forms nitrosamine which is a carcinogenic agent), phenol carbolic acid (known to cause circulatory collapse, paralysis and worse).
It is best to seek out brands which emphasize the anti-oxidant factor. In other words, go green then go enjoy the light from our closest star.
If you want to be armed with the appropriate information and supplementation to prevent future skin damage and premature aging, or have sun damage from childhood and other previous exposure, please come visit us at HealthWalk. With our Vital Hematology live blood analysis, Functional Nutritional analysis and Comprehensive Wellness Profile analysis, among other leading edge services, we can help you be best prepared to enjoy and benefit from sunlight, a wonderful revitalizing natural resource.